Violence against women centres

LAHORE
In recognising that violence against women is rampant in Punjab and that conviction for such crimes is abysmally low, Special Monitoring Unit (Law and Order), on directive of the chief minister designed, and is establishing, Violence Against Women Centres (VAWCs) across Punjab. Pakistan will be the first country in the region to launch such an initiative.In a statement of a spokesman for Special Monitoring Unit (SMU) of CM Office said that Violence Against Women Centres (VAWCs) would be the first line of defence for victims and would ensure access to justice by converging all relevant services under one roof, including first aid, police reporting, FIR lodging, medical examination, collection of forensic and other evidence, psychologist evaluation, prosecution as well as post-trauma rehabilitation under one roof. VAWCs are integrated with shelter home and will assist in victim’s placement back into the society. Pilot Violence Against Women Centre is being established in Multan district.
The spokesman said that salient features of VAWC encapsulates is as follows, VAWC- Violence Against Women Centres would be first line of defence for victims, and would provide immediate relief and protection to them with zero interference from outside (no incoming calls), VAWC will be 24 hour, all-women run facilities where all disconnected departments will be brought under one roof - first aid, police reporting, FIR lodging, prosecution, medical examination, forensics and post-trauma rehabilitation, case flow process will be streamlined with real-time data integration between all the relevant departments- a specifically designed real time, key stoke monitoring software will connect all the justice delivery departments.